AT&T To Get iPhone 6-Friendly Wi-Fi Calling In 2015

4 years

The iPhone 6 supports Wi-Fi calling. But does your carrier support it?

If you’re in the U.S., the answer to that is probably “not yet.”

Wi-Fi Calling essentially turns any Wi-Fi router you’ve got access to a private extension of your carrier’s cell network. As long as you’re on Wi-Fi, you’ll be able to make standard voice calls and send texts regardless of whether your carrier’s signal is up to snuff in that spot.

But fear not, AT&T customers! You’ll be getting in on the Wi-Fi fun too … eventually.

Speaking at an event in New York this afternoon, AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega mentioned it almost in passing: AT&T will support Voice over Wi-Fi sometime in 2015.

So, why the hold-up? The short version: for Wi-Fi calling to work properly, your carrier’s network also needs to support Voice Over LTE (VoLTE). This is what allows for a seamless handoff — that is, it’s what allows you to start a call on your Wi-Fi network, leave your house, and seamlessly continue the call on the cellular network without having to redial.
[via LightReading]